Complaints over the diesel fumes and noise coming from a train depot in Reading have compelled the council to take action.

Reading Borough Council's environmental protection team has written to Network Rail and Great Western Railway and asked them to respond to people's complaints about levels of air and noise pollution.

The team believe the companies have failed to address people's concerns about the train care depot behind Cardiff Road and their activities are causing a statutory nuisance.

It is now asking both firms to provide detailed information about their operations, noise and air pollution levels and complaint logs.

If the information is not provided within one month the council will slap the companies with an abatement notice for statutory nuisance.

Councillor Tony Page, the council's deputy leader, said: "Previous responses from both Network Rail and Great Western on this issue have proved unsatisfactory in terms of the level of detail supplied to the Council.

“The council is fully supportive of the huge benefits the realignment of rail lines in and around Reading has brought in terms of improving journey times for the millions of passengers that travel in and out of the town every day.

"Concerns local residents have on noise and air pollution are very real"

"By the same token, the concerns local residents have on noise and air pollution are very real and the council is lobbied on these issues regularly."

He added: "We hope that escalating local concerns to senior management will prove more effective.”

The local authority also wrote to people living on Cardiff Road on Wednesday, June 22 to update them on the situation.